


And They Were Roommates

by Panic_for_Bucky_Barnes



Category: Marvel
Genre: AU, Alter-egos, Angst, Anxiety, Childhood Abuse, Fluff, Gay roommates, Hero Captain America, Hydra, I don’t know what else to say, M/M, Millitary mystery out of an x-files episode, Never has this metal arm been such a burden, PTSD, SHEILD, Villain Winter Soldier, and they were ROOMMATES, its true, oh my god they were roommates, they are shipping it themselves, why is that a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 13:14:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panic_for_Bucky_Barnes/pseuds/Panic_for_Bucky_Barnes
Summary: And they were RoOmMaTeS. oh my god they were rOoMmAtEs. AU where Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers are roommates, have a crush on eachother, but also posses alter-egos that make them arch nemesis





	1. Prologue Part 1

James Buchanan Barnes held his head in his hands. He could hear his abusive handler pacing outside of the cabinet he hid in, it was only a matter of time before Pierce thought to look in the cabinets for Bucky. Being young, the ripe age of ten, it was easy to hide in small spaces, but how long could that last? Twelve, thirteen years maybe?

 

“Come out here now.”

 

Pierce’s scarily steady voice sent a chill down Bucky’s spine. Pierce never got mad, well, he got mad a lot, he just didn’t show it as you’d think he would. Bucky once accused him of being Bipolar, after surfing the Internet and reading one too many bullshit posts about mental health.

 

Bucky was no longer allowed to surf the Internet.

But from the books he was able to find, Bucky did figure out Pierce was definitely Bipolar.

 

The sound of opening cabinets pulled Bucky out of his thoughts and into his thoughts about what Pierce would do to him if he was caught.

 

Would he be put in the brain blender again? It’s already left enough trauma for a lifetime.

 

Mutilated? He was missing three fingers on his left hand.

 

Hell, even death could be looming around the corner for poor Bucky Barnes, even though he would accept it with open arms. Minus three fingers.

 

Ten-year-olds shouldn’t be suicidal, Bucky had to remind himself that almost every day.

 

The cabinet door he was hiding behind opened, and Pierce’s fury seemed to pull Bucky out of there on its own. Pierce’s hands reached into the cabinet and pulled Bucky out, setting him on the floor.

 

“You, young man, should get back,” Pierce said sternly. Bucky made the mistake of responding with something other than a timid “yes sir.”

 

“But I’m tired,” Bucky regretted those words the moment they were out of his mouth. He would regret those words for the rest of his life.

 

“You’re tired?” Pierce laughed. “You of all people don’t know the meaning of tired. Who’s waking up ever day to train you? Me. Who’s sacrificing their time to make you a better killer? Me. Who’s watching the only one that’s the closest excuse for a son become a serial killer? Me. I’M the one who should be tired.”

 

“Sorry sir,” Bucky whispered, looking down at his feet.

 

“And you failed your training today,” Pierce’s statement caught Bucky off-guard. With a sigh, he added, “You’ll have to be punished...” those last few words echoed in Bucky’s skull as the scientist Pierce hired strapped him into the chair that stole his memories.

 

Days later, James Buchanan Barnes sat in a fetal position in his cell, missing his left arm. He sat there, crying his eyes out at the stump on his shoulder.

 

Though it was a long story, it made more sense for Bucky to explain it this way when people asked him about the metal arm. His story was much, much longer. A story that, if told, could spark a distant memory and in turn bring out the worst of Bucky. His full story, was the story of the Winter Soldier.

 


	2. Prologue Part 2

Steve Rogers served for exactly four years before he quit. Flat out quit. Barely did anything when he got home, the occasional painting sold on EBay, nothing much else.

 

Whenever someone asked why he’d quit, his response was simple:

 

“It’s classified information for all I know.”

 

Which was his way of saying:

 

“Ask me again and I’ll give you a black eye.”

 

At least his response had a hint of politeness in it... well... his response was more polite than what he was trying to say.

 

Maybe six moths after he quit the army, a woman knocked on his door. His neighbors are the only witness to this, no one else can find footage of her. No one knows what she talked about with him that night. And now, maybe five years after that night, no one knows where Steven Grant Rogers goes in the middle of the night. Hell, no one knows if he goes out of his apartment in the middle of the night, he never seems to use the front door after all.

 

It’s what you have to do if you’re Captain America, I guess. Steve’s honestly just surprised his neighbors hadn’t put two and two together and figured it out themselves.


	3. The Beginning I Guess

Of all people who had wacky roommates, Bucky had the wackiest. But he never really knew the extent of the crazy in his roommate, since he was always out causing trouble against his will. The Winter Soldier lived on, and it was a miracle Bucky had a sleeve that covered up his metal arm, or he was sure his roommate would be running for the hills.

 

Of all people who had wacky roommates, Steve had the wackiest. However, he never saw his roommate much, either he was gone, or Steve was gone. There was barely any times that they’d passed each other in the apartment hallway. To be honest, Steve was mostly busy trying to clean up the messes The Winter Soldier caused. His excuses seemed to work for his roommate anyways, since his roommate’s excuses for being out late at night were as shitty as Steve’s.

 

James Buchanan Barnes, was truly the weirdest roommate, also doubling as the sexiest roommate, since Steve could never seem to keep his eyes off him when he was home.

 

Steven Grant Rogers was definitely off. Something in Bucky’s senses could just smell it. But he was pretty ripped... and he had a great ass. It’s a miracle Steve never noticed him staring.

 


	4. Rhetorical Fuck

 

Bucky flopped down on his bed, making a little too much noise. He immediately bounced up and flew to the part of the bed pushed farther to the wall. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, while Bucky frantically pulled his gear off.

 

“Note to self,” he grunted, “never come home with my gear still on.”

 

Someone knocked at the door, it was probably Steve. With Bucky’s enhanced hearing, it sounded like Steve.

 

“Bucky?” Steve half-yawned, half asked for Bucky.

 

“Note to self, don’t come home late and make noise,” Bucky said to himself.

 

“Bucky?” Steve started to knock a little harder. “I’m coming in if you don’t respond.”

 

Fuck. That’s not what Bucky needed, he didn’t want Steve to barge in and see him shirtless. A whole string of problems would follow that.

 

“I’m good Steve, sorry to wake you,” Bucky could barely talk, that’s when he noticed the small metal rod protruding from his abdomen. “Fuck.”

 

“What do you mean, fuck?” Steve’s comment caught Bucky off guard.

 

“I-it was a rhetorical fuck, don’t worry about it,” Bucky inhaled. “I’m kinda tired, talk to you in the morning.”

 

Steve sighed and moved back to his room across the hall. His roommate really did surprise him, rhetorical fuck, who knew that was a thing?

 

Maybe Bucky’s fucking someone when he goes out? That wouldn’t be good, Steve thought to himself, that would be very bad actually. Then he wouldn’t be able to ask Bucky out. When would he even be able to talk to him though? Bucky is never home when Steve’s home, the most conversation they get is a string of notes they leave each other on the kitchen counter.

 

Steve shook his head, he’d have to wait a different day to make his move.

 

Meanwhile, Bucky worked at the small metal rod. Shaking his head in thought of Steve Rogers. He stopped tending to his wound for a second to think, unconsciously rubbing his bloodied metal hand on his temple. He didn’t realize there was blood on his forehead until he took his hand away.

 

Bucky smirked and tried to wipe some of the blood away.

 

“Rhetorical fuck, well fuck me.”


	5. The Fucking Note

Bucky didn’t notice, the note on his bed. He didn’t notice it till late the next day, he slept in well past his usual time, and when he did wake up, a cup of coffee was the only thing on his mind. Until he saw the note on the floor next to his crumpled uniform.

 

He fell out of the bed when he spotted the familiar mark of HYDRA printed on the stationary. This time, the noise Bucky made when he fell didn’t startle him, Steve was definitely not home this late in the day. He scrutinized the note before scoffing and getting up, coffee would make it easier to read, his head still swam from last night anyways.

 

Bucky slapped himself, he never, ever reminded himself of the brain blended, no matter what. It was a bad habit to remember such a thing anyways.

 

He opened the bedroom door, walking out a few steps before spotting Steve at the kitchen counter, facing away from his and reading a news paper. Bucky did a 1-80 and flocked back into his room, pulling in a sleeve for his metal arm.

 

HYDRA had supplied him the sleeve for undercover missions when a metal extremity would be too obvious. They did not, however, take in the fact that the small HYDRA symbol on the inside bicep would also raise some eyebrows. It looked like a tattoo, but who would get a tattoo of a secret government company?

 

When Bucky emerged again, Steve was watching him, no longer turned to the kitchen.

 

“You slept in,” Steve said, as Bucky crept by him to get a cup of coffee.

 

“Yeah, late night I guess,” Bucky responded, hopping up on the counter in the kitchen. “Sorry bout’ last night, man.”

 

Steve smiles and shook his head, taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes. Steve’s hand the traveled to his hair, and it ran it’s way through his golden locks. Bucky swore Steve’s Hans had a mind of its own, and the only thing on its mind was to get Bucky in the bedroom.

 

“Don’t worry, I was reading when you came home anyways,” Steve responded. Bucky cocked his head in curiosity.

 

“You stayed up pretty late then too, huh?” Bucky said.Steve nodded, taking a sip of something from his cup. “Don’t you have work or something?”

 

“No, thought I’d take a day off.” The world could survive a day without Captain America, besides, Steve needed a break. He also wanted to talk with his roommate, get to know the man known as James Buchanan Barnes. “Do you have work tonight?” Steve asked. Bucky shook his head.

 

“Nah, I don’t need to go unless they need me,” Bucky said. Steve looked down at his coffee, trying to remember what Bucky’s background check said he did.

 

“And you’re a- oh you’re bleeding,” Steve pointed at Bucky’s abdomen where a small spot of blood grew larger by the second. Bucky’s eyes widened in panic for a second, looking down at the fresh wound he got last night. Bucky’s hand automatically flew to the spot, applying pressure.

 

“I can stitch it up for you,” Steve offered. Bucky hopped off the counter and almost doubled over in pain, grunting. Steve got up too to help, rushing to Bucky’s side.

 

“No need, I can do it,” Bucky wheezed, waving Steve away.

 

“Bucky, I’m serious. I should take a look at it,” Steve insisted. Bucky started to panic a little, his sleeve wasn’t on fully, and the top part of his metal arm was bare and open where it connected to his shoulder. Taking off his shirt would be a big problem. But Steve was too stubborn to take no for an answer.

 

“Maybe get me some hydrogen peroxide?” Bucky asked meekly, smiling a bit. Steve left Bucky’s side to grab a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, which gave Bucky some time to get to his room. At least Steve was stubborn enough to leave him alone.

 

Bucky was stitching up his wound with the emergency medical kit he kept in his room when Steve knocked on his door. Just as Bucky had his sleeve on, Steve opened the door. Steve huffed and day down on the bed next to Bucky, where he stitched up the wound. Steve put his hand on Bucky’s stopping it from it’s stitching.

 

“Let me,” Steve offered. Bucky sighed and moved his hand away, producing the first aid kit he kept in his room.

 

Steve first put on a pair of gloves, then immediately after, went for the scissors, cutting away the thread already there. He was just about to start stitching when he looked up at Bucky, who was studying his actions.

 

“This is going to hurt, ok?” Steve warned. Bucky smirked and leaned back a little farther.

 

“I’m used to pain, Rogers, just stitch it up,” Bucky said. Steve raised his eyebrow and timidly started to stitch. Bucky made no sound, he didn’t even move a muscle. When Steve was done, Bucky was almost laying down on his bed, legs spread wide apart, waiting for Steve to get some sort of hint.

 

Steve got the hint, and once the medical supplies was back in the first aid kit, and the gloves were disposed of, Steve flopped down on the bed next to Bucky. Steve let his arm hang off the side of the bed, the same side where Bucky’s uniform was stuffed under.

 

“I like you shirtless, Buck,” Steve said.

 

“I like you in general, Rogers, if that’s not overstepping my boundaries,” Bucky retorted. Steve smiles and inches his hand towards Bucky’s.

 

“It’s not,” Steve whispered. Bucky smirked too, and laid his hand down on top of Steve’s. Steve’s other hand, the one trailing the floor, brushed over something papery, and he sat up in surprise.

 

“Steve?” Bucky sat up in confusion. “Did I do something wrong? I’m really sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have- “ Steve stared at the floor, unmoving. That’s when it dawned on Bucky, the note. He left the note right there!

 

Steve bent down, and sure enough, the note HYDRA left Bucky was in his hands when Steve turned back to Bucky.

 

“Where did you get this?” Steve’s tone had turned cold and serious, loosing all of the love it expressed only moment earlier.

 

“I-I just found it on the ground walking home, what is it?” the best thing Bucky could do was play dumb. The note, written in Russian, probably had another mission on it. Bucky couldn’t remember what it said, and if he didn’t report, it could be very bad news for him. “Can I see it?”Steve scoffed and tossed it over.

 

“Hope you can read Russian,” he said. “But give it back, please, I kind of need it,” he added. This was somewhat good, although Steve recognized the language, he couldn’t read it. It also meant Steve beloved Bucky’s story of finding it on the street. But it also meant he recognized the symbol on the HYDRA stationary, how Steve recognized it, Bucky didn’t know, but somehow he did. Bucky scanned the note quickly, before giving it back.

 

“Russian, it’s impossible to read,” Bucky said.

 

“Yeah, no shit,” Steve responded. Steve pocketed the note before laying back again, Bucky followed his action. Their hands became interwoven once again.

 

A note shouldn’t get in the way of a potential relationship.


	6. From My Boyfriend

Steve’s day off, though it helped his love-life, hurt his life as Captain America. The day he got back to SHEILD, which was the very next fucking day, Natasha Romanoff and Peggy Carter grabbed his by his ears and dragged him into Fury’s office.

 

“While you were out,” Fury got right to the point, sliding a few files in front of Steve. “The Winter Soldier manages to do it again- “

 

“He escaped our grasp, Steve,” Natasha interrupted, slamming her hands down on the table. Steve forgot she was standing behind him. Fury gave Natasha a look, and she moved back to the position she started in.

 

“Agent Romanoff, control yourself,” Fury said. Steve heard Peggy whispering to Natasha, trying to calm her down. “But, Agent Romanoff did manage to track him.”

 

“Damn, did that boy bleed like a bugger,” Natasha whispered. Steve had to smile at her comment. Again, Peggy whispered to Natasha, her low steady voice calming her down.

 

“Where do I come in?” Steve asked.

 

“I just need you to come along for the next mission. It’s be nice to know where he lives, you know?” Fury said. “Anything to add Carter?” Peggy shook her head.

 

“Good,” Fury said. “You’re all dismissed.”

 

* * *

 

A few minutes after Steve’s meeting with director Fury, he was searching for Natasha and Peggy. Rounding a corner into one of the many halls SHEILD has, Steve spotted the familiar glint of red hair at the end of the hall, just passing down a perpendicular corridor. Where there was a Natasha, there was Peggy.

 

“Natasha!” Steve called after her and raced down the hall. The moment he saw Natasha and Peggy making out in the privacy of the hallway, Steve did a similar 1-80 Bucky did when he came out of his room the day before. He heard the click of heels, and Peggy was soon beside him.

 

“Steve, do you need something?” Steve could barely look Peggy in the eye.

 

“I just need Natasha to translate this,” Steve said, handing Peggy the note he found in Bucky’s room. “Sorry to bother you two.” Peggy snatched the note out of his hand and read it.

 

“Don’t worry about it Steve,” she said nonchalantly. Peggy then turned to Natasha and held the note out to her. “Hey Babe, this says “meet at six tomorrow or the blonde gets it,” right?”

 

Natasha took the note from Peggy and read it herself. Nat smiled and gave the note back to Peggy. “Seven, it says seven.” Peggy smirked and gave the note back to Steve.

 

“I always mess that up, don’t I?” Peggy responded. She turned to Steve, who was trying to read the Russian himself.

 

“When do you know Russian?” He asked Peggy.

 

“Where did you get this note?” Peggy asked Steve.

 

“My roommate found it, I don’t know why he’d keep it though,” Steve responded.

 

“Aren’t you guys more than roommates?” Peggy questioned. Steve bit the inside of his cheek and frowned.

 

“Boyfriend. From my boyfriend, are you happy now?”

 

“Much happier, yes.”

 

“You should tell Fury.” Everyone turned to Natasha. “It’s a lead, tell him. I mean, is that not HYDRA stationary?” Natasha said, pointing to the HYDRA symbol printed on the paper. 

 

”What else would it be?” Peggy asked rhetorically. “And I bout your roommate- excuse me- Boyfriend knows what HYDRA is.”

 

Peggy couldn’t have been more wrong, Bucky knew well what HYDRA was. He was the face of HYDRA itself after all.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Bucky snuck out the minute Steve closed his door to go to bed. They note said seven, did they mean in the morning or night? Bucky didn’t care, he just needed to get to the damn rendezvous point. If it was seven at night, he was already an hour behind. And that meant hell for him, worse, it meant hell for Steve.

 

Bucky had a motorcycle himself, but kept it hidden from Steve. However, it was a little more high-tech than Steve’s old Harley. Once Bucky had his duffel packed with his gear, he rushed down the stairs and practically hopped onto his motorcycle.

Once Bucky was on the road, he let the Winter Soldier take over, it didn't take much for him to come out nowadays. The Winter Soldier knew well where to go, Bucky didn’t get in the way.

 

Bucky lost control for a bit, he didn’t realize wha was happening until maybe hours after he let The Winter Soldier take control. He was fighting a red-head. A very pretty red-head, he though. Bucky cleared his mind of what he could and tried to focus on something else. Didn’t that earlier encounter with Steve make them together? He didn’t know, Bucky never knew in these situations.

 

Something about this red-head looked familiar though, The Winter Soldier had to have seen it. It dawned on Bucky who she was, and for a second, he gained control, before the Winter Soldier tightened his reins and pulled Bucky back into the depths of him mind. That fucking woman was responsible for that metal rod that had caused him so much trouble! Instantly Bucky thought of Steve, cursing out the Winter Soldier. It would be so much easier to fuck Steve if he didn’t have that damn metal arm...

 

“Fucker,” he growled to himself. The woman stopped, and Bucky stopped too. He moved his arm, no one tried to take him back over.

 

“Mind repeating that?” She asked, smirking. Bucky looked at her, astonished in the fact that he had control.

 

“You don’t understand,” he started. “I have...”

 

“A long criminal history that could land you the death penalty?” The woman finished for him.

 

“No...” Bucky said. “I have control, I HAVE CONTROL!” Bucky practically grabbed her hand in delight. He stopped himself just in time, and the presence of The Winter Soldier started to form in his mind. That fucker was still there of course, no way to get rid of him. In Bucky’s moment of triumph, the had time to grab her knife and crawl up behind him. Just when Bucky realized she was gone, she plunged the knife into his back.

 

“God damnit woman!” He cried, jumping forward in pain. “You ruined the moment I’d anticipated for seventy. Fucking. Years.”

 

Bucky was old, old as the hills themselves. He was over a hundred, but looked young because of how often HYDRA froze him in cryo. Only recently have they settled down on the cryo, and was now into making Bucky do things they hoped he would regret. There were manny crimes he regretted, it was just crazy that HYDRA didn’t notice.

 

He let the Winter Soldier take over once again, and his metal hand plucked a knife out of his belt. Bucky sighed.

 

“Sorry about this, you seem like a cool lady,” he said, then the Winter Soldier took over fully, expertly stabbing her in the gut, like she had done a few days earlier. Maybe with the back injury, Steve’ll help patch it up. Hell, why not, right?

 

Once she was doubled over, the Winter Soldier made his escape, along with the files HYDRA needed him to extract. He took on last look at the surrounding area, eyes scanning for any sign of life in the room. He spotted a guard in the corner of the room, who was moaning in pain.

 

“No witnesses,” The Winter Soldier recited his orders. “No exceptions.” He turned to the woman he had just stabbed, she was obviously a SHEILD agent. The Winter Soldier pulled out his gun and shot at the guard, not taking his eyes off the woman. The moaning stopped, and the room fell silent.

 

“That means you too,” The Winter Soldier said. The gun moved from the unmoving guard to her. “Sorry about this Romanov, but orders are orders” he was no stranger to the woman before him. In fact, he once worked with her. She had once been in the same spot as he, only, she managed to escape.

 

“No,” she said, “I’M sorry.”

 

Romanov jumped, flying over the Soldier. She pulled the knife out of her abdomen and threw, in mid air, the knife landed next to the one already in the Winter Soldier’s back. Unlike Bucky, the Soldier didn’t flinch.

 

Romanov disappeared, leaving no trace of her being there, not even a drop of blood on the ground. The Soldier shrugged and made his way back to the HYDRA headquarters. However, in his back, Romanov managed to clip a tracker onto the knife, and he was leading all of SHEILD, not only to HYDRA’s headquarters, but to his residence too.

 

It was his own knife, HYDRA made his take it home anyways in case of emergencies.


	8. Chapter 8

Natasha threw her gun down on the floor of the Quinjet when she got inside it. Steve looked up from the controls of the jet in surprise, watching her cuss out the attacker. She stopped for a moment and started to speak in Russian, sliding to the inner wall of the Quinjet and dropping down, hands on her head. She screamed once, then went quiet.

 

“Nat?” Steve got up from the pilot’s seat to check on her.

 

“<Stay in the fucking seat Steve,>” she screamed at him in Russian. Steve stopped in his tracks and sighed.

 

“<Well, I’ll try to help you. But my Russian isn’t good,>” Steve said, piecing together a sentence from his small Russian vocabulary. “<English would help.>” Natasha scoffed and stared at the gun.

 

“Yeah, no shit. You pronounced “good” wrong,” Natasha said. Steve smiled and sat down next to her, she didn’t push him away.

 

“I can call Peggy,” Steve offered. Natasha perked up.

 

“Yes, please. Just let me stitch up my wound first,” she said, getting up. Steve followed her, offering assistance if she needed it.

 

Just as Natasha finished stitching up her wound, Peggy’s voice filled the medical room from Steve’s flip-phone.

 

“Nat! Darling!” Natasha smiled, it was good to hear Peggy’s voice.

 

“I’m good, Peggy,” Natasha said. Steve watched the two converse for a bit before he handed the phone over to Nat and left the medical room.

 

Steve day back down in the pilot’s seat and pulled up the tracker’s information. It took a few minutes to load the data, but soon a red light sped down roads on a virtual map. The light started to go off roads, into the surrounding forest area. Steve watched it with curiosity until it stopped in the middle of a forest. The light stayed there for a few minutes, and he started to write down the coordinates.

 

The light didn’t move much after that, hours later did it start to move again. Steve watched it move, making its way into New York City.

 

He narrowed his eyebrows in suspicion as the tracker turned down his road. The tracker stopped, and his eyes widened.

 

“Nat. Let’s go, he stopped,” Steve yelled, turning on the Quinjet. She rushed out to Steve, going straight to the map.

 

“How do you know he’s done moving?” She asked.

 

“I don’t care,” Steve said. The Quinjet lifted off the ground. “That’s my apartment.”

 

“So?” Natasha questioned. “As far as I know, you don’t have any important documents laying about.”

 

“No, I don’t,” Steve agreed. “But I do have one important person laying around, and I’m not about to put him in danger.”


End file.
